Chain saw attachment for operating rotatable tools



R. F. KROLL March 5, 1957 CHAIN SAW ATTACHMENT FOR OPERATING ROTATABLE TOOLS Filed July 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

INVENTOR 51F [fro Z Z I I AfiORNEY R. F1 KROLL March 5, 1957 CHAIN SAW ATTACHMENT FOR OPERATING ROTATABLE TOOLS Filed July 11., 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY CHAIN SAW ATTACHMENT FOR OPERATING ROTATABLE TOOLS Roland F. Kroll, Wautoma, Wish Application July. 11,1955, Serial No. 5210 969 6 Claims. (Cl. M l-35) This invention relates to anattachment or adapterunit for use with a conventional chain saw and whereby the chain saw, with the adapter unit-applied thereto', may, be utilized for accomplishing numerous operations such-as drilling, circular sawing and clearing of undergrowth;

Another object ofthe invention is to provide an adapter unit or attachment for a circular saw whereby'the adapter unit'when applied'to the circular saw and driven thereby may be utilized for supplying the motive power for pumps and other types of machinery.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adapter unit of extremely simple construction which may be quickly applied to or removed from a conventional' chain saw without modification of theconventional structure of the saw.

Various other objects and advantages. of the invention will hereinafterbecorne more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating presently preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein;

Figure 1 is a side elevationalview of a conventional portable type motor-driven chain saw with the adapter unit or attachment appliedthereto; v

Figure 2 is a top plan .view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary substantiallyhorie zontal sectional view of the attachment or adapter unit and of a part of the chain saw, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating a slightly modified embodiment of the outer end portion of the attachment or adapter unit;

Figure 5 (Sheet 1) is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a side elevational view, partly in section of a slightly modified form of the inner drive shaft'of.

the adapter unit or attachment.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, for the purpose of illustrating a'preferred application and use of the chain saw attachment or adapter unit,,designated generally Sand comprising the invention, aconventional motor-driven chain saw of the portable type is illustrated in the drawings. Said chainsaw, designated'generally 9, includes a gear. housing .10.mounted on .the forward end of the motor casing 11 andcontaining gearing, not shown, by means of which thedr ive shaft 12 (Fig. 3), of the saw 9 is driven from the motor, not shown, contained within the casing 11. Theshaft lzrextends laterallyfrom'the inner side wall 13;of:the gear housing and has a driving sprocket wheel14 fixedrthereto; outwardly with respect to said inner wall 13. The shaft 12 is threaded, as seen at 15, beyond the sprocket wheel 14.

A chain supporting and guiding plate or blade 16 is supported on the inner housing wall 13, forwardly of the sprocket wheel 14, and extends forwardly therefrom a substantial distance. The plate 16 is disposed substantially in alignment with the sprocket wheel 14. An endless saw chain 17 of conventional construction slid- States Patent 0 threaded recess'23flwhich' is axially disposed with respectto said shaftandwhic'h opens outwardly of the inner end of the shaft and'is provided with a surrounding flange 24; The recessed shaft end 23' engages the threaded end 15' of the. drive shaft. 12 for coupling the adapter shaft" 22 to the drive shaft 12 for rotationtherewith.-

The connection of thethr'eade'dlparts 1'5 and 23-is suchthat whenthe' drive shaft 12! is. revolved in its normal direction of operation, rotation thereof will tend to tighten the threaded connection 1 5, 23; A disk 20- is fixedto the shaft 12 between the sprocket wheel Mandthethreaded shaft end 151' Setscr'ews 2llextend threadedly through the flange 24 and are advanced to bear against the outer side" of the disk 2'0'to limit. the extent that the shaft end l'5 can be screwed'into'the recess 23; A Vbel't'pulley 2 5 is'mounted on the adapter drive shaft 22 adjacent its outer end or outwardly with respect to the connection of the shaft 22 and the drive shaft 12. The pulley 25 has ahub 26 projecting laterally from one sidethereofdntowhich-a sets'crew 27 is threaded. The set's'crew 27" tightened against the shaft 22 for securing the pulley ZFtb'saidshaft 2'2 for'rotation therewith. V

The adapterunit or saw attachment 8 also includes a substantially cylindrical bearing housing 28 having an open-outer'end'29 andaninnerend wall 30 at the opposite, th'ein'h'er end-thereof. Saidend'wall 30 is provided with a central outwardlyprojecting annular hollow extene sion or flange 3'1 at'leastth'e outer end portion of which is externally threaded, a's' 'seen-a't 32in Figure 3; Said extensionorb'oss 31is sized to pass slidably through the plate opening 19 and a nut 33 engages the threaded portion 32= thereof and'is advanced against the plate 16 forsecuring the'bearing housing 28 detachably to said plate; The'be'arin'g' housing 28'eXtends outwardly from the? same" side of"th'e"pla'te 16 as the adapterrshaft 22. The bearing'hou'sing 28' contains two annular antifriction"bearing'units "34 an'd*35 and an annular spacer 36 which is: interposed between said bearing units. The bores of the bearingu'nits"34and'35' and the spacer 36 are disposed alignment "with" and are of the same size as-the bore' ofthe' hollow extension or boss 31.

Asshaft-37; constituting the driven'shaft' of the adapter unit 8, has a portioirtlrereof extending through the bearing units 34 and 35 and spacer 36" and which is journaled in'said-hollowextension or boss 31'. Said end of the shaft37is-providedwitlr'a' restricted threaded stem 38" which extendsoutwardly'fronr'the boss Sland on which threadedlyenga'gesthe" stem 38and the washer 40* is disposedfomtheistenr between"sa'idnut and the adjacent end'of'theshaff37"and 'th'e outer end'of the boss Thefoth'er" end portion of Y the" shaft 37- extends a substantia-l di'stan'ee outwardly wi'th respect to the open end 29 of the bearing housing and is shown terminating in a threaded end 41. A V-type belt pulley 42 is mounted on the shaft 37 between the bearing housing 28 and the threaded shaft end 41. The pulley 42 has a hub 43 on the outer side thereof into which a setscrew 44 is threaded radially against the shaft 37 for securing the pulley 42 immovably to said shaft. A spacing collar or sleeve 45 is disposed on the shaft 37 between the pulley 42 and the outermost adjacent bearing unit 35. The sleeve 45 cooperates with the nut 39 and washer 40 to retain the shaft 37 against sliding movement relative to the bearing housing 28 and plate 16 and said parts have a suflicient loose engagement with the heating unit 35 and the outer end of the boss 31 to permit the shaft 37 to rotate freely within the bearing housing. A conventional chuck 46 has a threaded socket 47 in its inner end to receive the shaft end 41 for detachably connecting the chuck to the shaft 37. The pulleys 25 and 42 are disposed substantially in alignment and are connected by an endless V-belt 48.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that when the drive shaft 12 of the sprocket wheel 14 is driven in a conventional manner sothat the saw chain 17 will be driven by the sprocket wheel 14 to travel around the periphery of the plate or guide 16, that the driven shaft 22 of the adapter unit 8 will be rotated simultaneously with the drive shaft 12 of the saw due to its connection thereto, as previously described. The driven shaft 37 of the adapter unit or attachment 8 will be driven in unison with the drive shaft 22 by its connection thereto through the belt 48 and the pulleys 25 and 42 for causing the shaft 37 to rotate in the bearing housing 28. Any suitable element to be driven, as for example a drill bit 49, may be mounted in a conventional manner on the outer end of the chuck 46 to be rotated with said chuck and the driven shaft 37. The threaded connection 41, 47 is arranged whereby rotation of the shaft 37 will tend to tighten the shaft end 41 in the socket 47. It will also be apparent that other elements to be rotated may be secured in the chuck 46, so that the attachment unit 8, utilizing the chuck 46, may be used for driving pumps .and various machinery.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a slightly modified form of the attachment, wherein the chuck 46 is omitted. In lieu thereof, as illustrated in Figure 5, a pair of nuts 50 are detachably mounted on the threaded shaft end 41 and a pair of clamping collars 51 are detachably mounted on the shaft end 41, between the nuts 50. A conventional circular saw blade 52 may be detachably mounted on the shaft portion 41 and secured thereto by tightening of the nuts 50 for clamping the hub portion of the blade 52 between the collars 51. It will also be readily apparent that other types of tools or implements may be mounted on the shaft 37 by means of the nuts 50 and collars 51. 7

It will likewise be apparent that the circular saw blade 52 could be mounted against the outer end of the chuck 46.

Figure 6 illustrates a slightly modified form of the adapter drive shaft, designated generally 22a, and which dififers from the shaft 22 in that the outer portion thereof is threaded, as seen at 53, to permit attachment of a belt pulley thereto by a threaded connection.

Various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a portable type power-driven chain saw including an elongated chain guiding plate about which the endless saw chain travels, said plate having an opening adjacent an outer end thereof, and a primary drive shaft disposed beyond the inner end of the guide plate and crosswise thereof on which drive shaft a sprocket wheel for driving the chain is secured; an adapter unit comprising an adapter drive shaft fixed to and extending outwardly from an outer end of said primary drive shaft, an elongated housing having a hollow annular extension at one end thereof of reduced diameter relative to said housing extending through said guide plate opening, means securing said housing detachably to the guide plate with the axis of the housing disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the adapter drive shaft, a driven adapter shaft journaled in said housing independent of said chain and its bearing on the outer end of said guide plate and having an end portion extending from the end of the housing disposed remote from said guide plate, means supported by said end of the driven shaft, remote from the housing, and adapted to be attached to an implement to be driven by said adapter unit, and means forming a driving connection between the adapter drive shaft and driven adapter shaft of said adapter unit.

2. In an adapter unit as in claim 1, said means forming a driving connection between the adapter drive shaft and driven adapter shaft of the adapter unit comprising belt pulleys fixed to said shafts and an endless belt trained over and forming a driving connection between the belt pulleys. a

3. In an adapter unit as in claim 1, said primary drive shaft having a threaded outer end, said adapter drive shaft having a threaded recess opening outwardly-of an inner end thereof for threadedly engaging the outer end of the primary drive shaft, a collar fixed to the primary drive shaft between its threaded outer end and the sprocket wheel, the inner end of the adapter drive shaft having a flange extending outwardly therefrom, and setscrews extending threadedly through said flange and hearing against said collar for limiting the extent that the adapter drive shaft can be threaded onto the outer end of the primary drive shaft.

4. In an .adapter unit as in claim 1, said housing having an outer open end disposed remote from said guide plate and the hollow extension thereof, a pair of annular antifrietion bearing units disposed in said housing and in which said driven adapter shaft is journaled, and an annular spacing member disposed in said housing between said bearing units and through which said driven adapter shaft loosely extends.

5. In an adapter unit as in claim 4, and a spacing collar disposed on said driven adapter shaft between the 1 open end of said housing and a portion of said drive means and bearing against one of said bearing units.

6. In an adapter unit as in claim 5, said hollow extension having an externally threaded terminal portion, a nut threadedly engaging said terminal portion and abutting against one side of said guide plate for detachably securing the housing to the plate, said driven adapter shaft having a restricted threaded stem projecting from its opposite end and extending outwardly from the outer end of said hollow extension, a nut threadedly engaging said stem, and' a washer disposed on said stem be-- tween the nut and the outer end of said threaded'extension and cooperating with the'nut and said spacing collar for detachably mounting the driven adapter shaft rotatably in said housing.

References 'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 46,325 Barnard Feb. 14,1865 160,838 Norton Mar. 16, 1875 2,489,772 Hall Nov. 29, 1949 2,526,131 Harnish et al Oct. 17 1950 est; 

